It’s 7.30 in the morning. When I open the curtains I’m not stunned. I’m not blown away by beauty. I’m the witness of another gray day. Meh. Not exactly a Yellow Mountains view.

One week ago my friend arrived to see me in my natural habitat: Shanghai, also called Wonderful Everyday. But ever since her plane landed, the weather has been anything but Wonderful Everyday.

See the picture above? Yeah.. That wasn’t exactly my view that morning. In my mind there was only one thing left to do: leave. So I opened my laptop and looked for the place people’d been telling me about: The Yellow mountains (or Huangshan, 黄山). We decided to leave the next morning.

Why you should go to Huangshan

Visiting the Yellow Mountains turned out to be the best choice we made that week. For me it was all the peace and quiet I dreamt of during my stay in the World’s largest city for almost a year. For her it was the China she’d come to see. The Yellow Mountains are amazing. They are easy to reach and they have plenty of hiking options for all levels.

You will be stunned by fantastic views around every corner.

If you’re a worshiper of sunrises and sunsets: they are fantastic on these mountains. That’s not surprising, since Huangshan is also known as the ‘King of all the Mountains’ and is famous for it’s Four Wonders: the oddly-figured pines and rocks, the seas of clouds, and the hot springs.

How to get to the Yellow Mountains

Let’s get one thing straight: There is the city called Huangshan. And there is the Yellow Mountains Scenic area, also called Huangshan. Talk about confusing..

Train or plane

First, you need to get to the city. It’s fairly easy to get there: just a 4-hour high speed train ride or a 1.5-hour flight away from Shanghai (Hongqiao), both options cost around $50 one-way. From the airport or train station in Huangshan city, there are frequent buses running to the Scenic Area. This takes about 1.5 hours. Thereafter, there will be a bus waiting to take you up to the cable car.

Long-distance bus

If you want to go cheaper, or include Hangzhou in a somewhat longer trip, there is a third option: the long-distance bus (6.5 hours, $25). Be aware: at the time of our trip they only departed once a day, so you might wanna book your ticket in advance. Those buses will take you straight to the Scenic Area.

Transportation Tips

Use Trip to reserve your ticket. Take the train early in the morning, but not too early: the Hongqiao stations are immense, you might need about an hour there to find the ticket office and the correct gate, and get some snacks. We took the train at 8.30 and arrived at the top of the mountain at 3pm.

It was perfect. We still had some hours to hike our way up to the hotel and enjoy the views before the sun began to set.

Where to stay

Night 1: In the Yellow Mountains

For the first night I recommend staying on top of the mountain. Although there are few hotels to pick from and they’re also pricier, it’s the only way to watch the sunset and sunrise. They are basic, but you pay for their location. We stayed in Huangshan Beihai Hotel, from which most of the viewpoints are easily accessible.

Night 2: Tunxi Old Street

You can spend your second night in Tunxi Old Street, in the center of Huangshan city. Old Street International Youth Hostel was definitely a good option. This street is home to little old style Chinese shops, selling the famous Huangshan tea, calligraphy materials and lots of fresh spices. To find a good Chinese restaurant is not hard and people are very friendly. Spending just an evening and morning here is perfect.

Good to know

Sunset and Sunrise

Ask the reception desk at your hotel what the best place is to watch, as it differs per location and time of the year.

Extra tip: We walked around a little more to scout places for sunrise watching and found a perfect small viewpoint, with NO other people there but us. Feels a little more fairytale-like than cramping up on a rock plateau with 50 other spectators.

Hot Springs

You can find the hot springs just at the south exit from the mountains (in Tangkou). From there, it’s still about 1.5 hours to Huangshan city center. If you’ll spend the night in Huangshan, make sure to check the exact times of the last bus leaving, as it will be quite early: around the end of the afternoon.

The entrance fee of the hot springs is pretty high (about ¥300), but it’s beautiful. They just have a whole day visit fee, so keep in mind that it might not be worth going there for just a quick dip. To have more time there, find a hotel in Tangkou.

More

It’s easy to extend your trip. Good options are visiting some of the idyllic little villages around the area, and/or making a one-day stop in Hanghzou on your way back to Shanghai.

So, whenever you feel like you need some greens and fresh air: You’ll find the beauty of Huangshan just around the corner, waiting for you.

Also interesting:
1 Year of being a teacher in Shanghai

Last week I met my Dutch besties for one week in Ho Chi Minh. Since I’d already been there, we included trips to Can Tho and Vung Tau. Of course we had an incredible time after I hadn’t seen them for nearly 10 months!

They could even make a trip to my local supermarket unforgettable 😉

Day 1 and 2: Can Tho, Mekong Delta

In one word: amazing! The definite highlight of our trip.

Where to stay?

From the bus station, a taxi to the hotel is the best option, since taxi’s are cheap and generally honest. No need to be on your guard too much here. We stayed at Nguyen Shack. A wonderful quiet place where the welcome is warm and everything else seems to be for free. Although it’s a little more expensive than other places, they offer lots of extras like doctor fish treatment and cupping massage which makes it completely worth it.

Bicycles are for rent costless and the daily floating market / food / sunset boat tours are to be enjoyed for just a few dollars. Additionally, you’ll be guided by the sweetest guides.

Our experience

The combination of peacefulness of the Mekong delta, the insanely friendly staff and all extras they offer, made it our highlight of the week. The cupping massage was interesting: Getting your skin sucked into hot cups while listening to the squealing pigs outside: wouldn’t wanna miss that!

I’m not sure if ‘You look like a pepperoni pizza’ is meant to be a compliment. And man, did we look like that, for the rest of our week at the beach.

The doctor fish made our hands and feet softer than soft and even though it was raining (our guide in her most serious being: ‘Today we will have a rainy tour instead of the sunset tour’), cruising over the water surface in our little boat and covered in our flowery raincoats, staring at the local people living their life, was relaxing.

Their food is fine and they offer some enthralling things like snake juice to try. The presence of hammocks always tends to make my life better. We spend our evening swinging in our hammocks, enjoying the sight of fireflies lighting up like Christmas lights in the trees across the river.

In the morning we woke up surrounded by jungle (or Mekong delta?) sounds, beautiful!

Day 3 – 5: Vung Tao

How to get there?

This cute city lies about a 2-hour bus ride away from Ho Chi Minh. I was about to put down village, because it has a way more villagy-vibe than Ho Chi Minh. Again we used Futa Bus Lines, our favorite company!

Another option is a 2-hour boat ride over the Saigon River. We took the Greenlines ferry back (one-way ticket: 250.000VND). The Ferries leave about every hour, but check a travel agency (or the ferry pier – Cáp Treo – in Vung Tau) for up-to-date times. Try to take the last one around 4.30pm, as you might get lucky and witness a fairy tale sunset.

Where to stay?

Everything around Hồ Bàu Sen lake can be considered the center. Vung Tau isn’t big so you can get anywhere by foot or taxi easily. We stayed at Vung Tau Homestay Container, which is great if you’re traveling in a small group.

Be warned: It’s not ON the beach, as we thought when booking. A hostel might be more fun if you’re a solo traveler and there are also plenty of more luxurious hotels with swimming pool if you’re willing to spend a little more.

Where to eat?

Even though it’s not THAT touristy, there are enough places to pick from. We found some with our friend Tripadvisor’s help and asking the hotel reception might get you end up in some nice Vietnamese places.

Our suggestions

@ Tran Phu Street: A lot of cafes and restaurants along this coastal street offer the prettiest and most relaxing sea views. Very romantic!

@ Blue corner – If you’re looking for something mixed. Everything was delicious, except for the rib eye wasn’t that special. They have wine, it’s just not on the menu.

@ Partea – They have the best noodle soup breakfast and normal (that is: non-Vietnamese) coffee!

Furthermore, there are lots of Australian places, since a good number of Australian veterans settled down in Vung Tau, out of which some volunteer at Vung Tau Veterans & Friends Children’s Fund now. We met some of them during breakfast at Belly’s Watering Hole.

What to do?

— Vung Tau Beach. Stretched out along the east coast you’ll find Back Beach, with it’s sunbeds for rent (we paid 100.000VND for 5 beds and 2 umbrellas), little shops and some Vietnamese restaurants. If you’re ‘lucky’ there’ll be some outdoor karaoke. Although it’s no bounty beach, the sun is strong, beers are cold and the water refreshing.

— Sunset at the Nghinh Phong Cape, with just the peaceful background sounds of crickets, waves and wind.

— Visit Jesus on top of his hill (shoulders and knees need to be covered; visit is donation based), for a good view over Vung Tau. Try not to go there during weekends, since the stairs can’t be called wide. More like one-way. There are some nice cafes for drinks on the way up.

— Touristic market & funfair (address: 157 Thùy Vân, P. Thắng Tam, Tp. Vũng Tàu). Souvenirs and food, but not júst food. GREAT Vietnamese sea food. There’s a variety of restaurants to pick from and to our surprise there was also a funfair next to it with some amusing rides for 40.000VND a ride.

Our experience

We spent our weekdays in Vung Tau and thus enjoyed an almost empty beach and quiet bars. It’s supposed to go a little crazier during weekends, which means full bars and beaches but also more things going on.

When I said the sun is strong, I mean REALLY strong. Within short time it added some marinara and bechamel colors to my pepperoni pizza look. Not so charming, so bring that baby skin SF50 sunscreen.

All in all, a very relaxing experience.

Day 6 and 7: Ho Chi Minh

How to get there?

Ho Chi Minh is not that stretched out, which make a lot of things easily accessible. The airport is only a 15-minute taxi ride from district 1 (if no traffic jams; around 150.000VND) and most touristic sites are within walking distance or just a short and cheap taxi ride away.

Where to stay?

District 1 – the backpackers district of Ho Chi Minh. We tried various places in the lower price ranges and were not very impressed with the quality. For a private room BetterU Charming Room & Juice Bar is a good option (double room: $23).

Where to eat?

Numerous options, from home cooked Vietnamese to all kinds of Western food, from super cheap to a little too pricey, from fully prepared for you to cook-it-yourself, from the coziest atmospheres to bare walls to stare at. You pick.

Some recommendations:

@ Food market at September 23 Park (Pham Ngu Lao street, near Ben Thanh market). It’s just in the weekends. The food stalls prepare a variety of small dishes to try.

@ Barbecue garden: Lovely outdoor décor, BBQ your own! Above Vietnamese prices but worth it.

@ Secret garden: Home cooked Vietnamese, again in a beautiful setting.

What to do?

For first-timers it’s easy to plan one or two full days of activities.

— Cu Chi tunnels: A must-see. I recommend booking a half-day tour from district 1. There’s an enormous amount of tour operators offering it (for around 90.000 VND pp). I took local bused to it once and it’s not worth the hassle.

— War Remnants Museum: For anyone slightly interested in history. I can’t call myself a hardcore museum visitor, but this was impressive; partly due to the fact that the Vietnam War took place just decades ago. Even though historically correct, it’s quite propagandist.

— Skybar: There must be a thousand places calling themselves a skybar in HCM, but the EON Heli bar on the 51st floor of Bitexco Financial Tower is the highest one. The ambiance is great, the view is great, the cocktails are great and the music is great, my company was great. Just great. What more does one need?! (no entrance fee, cocktails for 220.000VND – check their website for up-to-date happy hour times!)

— Other things to visit: the Ben Thahn market, the Central Post Office, one (or more) of the many massage places, rooftop bars,..

Our experience

Ho Chi Minh.. City of motorbikes. The ever chaotic traffic can be overwhelming. It’s beautiful to watch, but in case you grow tired of the chaotic and busy street life for a while, there are plenty of escapes. Luckily this city has a little of everything. Ho Chi Minh is a great place to organize some (few) days trips from. Think: Mekong delta or (Vung Tau) beach..

Or rest your senses with a frappuccino in a a pretty rooftop bar..

Furthermore

So what’s on my bucket list for next time? (I wasn’t lying when I told you: The more you travel, the longer your bucket list gets!)

2 weeks Mekong Delta
(It’s a huge area of about 40.000km², so a 2-day exploration is not nearly enough!)

Northern Vietnam
(Sapa & Ha Long Bay, which I skipped during my last visit)

Want to read more?
24 Hours in Singapore

(Literally rather than figuratively) — Oh China…

Since I’m living in Shanghai (the world’s largest city) and can’t do without some nature every now and then – but what living thing can? – I’m a regular park walker. Even after many walks they’re still special, because I see things here that I would never see back home.

These are some wonderful Chinese habits you’ll most definitely be able to witness during your weekend stroll through the park:

People playing games

In most parks in China you’ll find locals socializing over a game of cards. Especially the early mornings, late evenings and weekends are busy times. The places they pick for their games seem to be very random: I’ve seen them on benches, rocks, tables, next to toilets and in bicycle parking lots.

Since they are local men and women and (most of them) thus don’t speak English, I never found out which games they’re playing. One of the games I do know is Mahjong. We’ve got the Western version, they have the Chinese one with a completely different set of rules. Therefore, joining them might be a bit tough!

People singing

It’s hard for me to judge if their voices are any good, since after 6 months of studying I still can’t express much more than ‘你好’ and ‘谢谢’ (‘hi’ and bye’). Sometimes they’re just singing to empty air, sometimes some people gather around and take turns singing. Mostly they’re accompanied by some Chinese tune. It’s like advanced outdoor KTV. I love KTV, but somehow one of the few Comfort Zone Challenges I didn’t dare to complete yet is ‘Sing a song in public’.

First of all, my singing voice is not great – thanks mom, for those genes 😉 – , second of all: many Dutch people are kind but quite modest or shy when it comes to these things. We have a frequently used saying “Doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg”, which means something like: “Just act normal, you’re acting crazy enough as it is!”.

However those people’s voices, I have to give them credit for trying!

People dancing in China

Groups of local people gather daily in the parks and streets to dance a typical Chinese dance. Sometimes they’re solo dances, sometimes it’s more like couples ballroom dancing.

I joined them a few times and had so much fun. Everyone will be happy to teach you, so don’t be hesitant to try! Often they dance to Chinese tunes, but sometimes to surprisingly modern day music. Once I heard Rihanna’s ‘Only girl in the world’ (OK, already came out in 2010, but still not very Chinese) blasting out of the speakers in the park, only to find about 40 women dancing their Chinese dance to it.

It’s not for nothing that in most parks you’ll find decibel meters to measure noise levels.

People playing the èrhú

Of course I’ve seen people play instruments before, but here I’ve seen them way more often and also playing a very populair Chinese two-stringed bowed instrument, much like a violin: the èrhú. I would describe it’s sounds as basic but beautiful, and relaxing.

People practicing Tai Chi

Of course: Tai Chi, the Chinese martial art. Although people in China generally don’t do sports like I know them (read: swimming, running, playing soccer), they do exercise. Popular sports for youth are basketball and gym for guys and badminton for both guys and girls. I got invited for some badminton myself a couple of times during my time in Shanghai and enjoyed picking up this sport I used to do when I was younger.

If kite-flying is considered a sport: always kites to find in open park spaces. The older generation likes to walk, stretch and practice Tai Chi. Sometimes alone, sometimes in groups. They don’t seem to care much about an audience. They seem to practice it mostly for the health benefits as strength, coordination and flexibility.

People walking backwards

The first time I saw someone walking backwards I was stunned. What on earth was he doing? I remember thinking: It must be for some kind of challenge.

But the more I saw this appearance, the more I realized I was the weird one here for finding this strange.

When talking to my Chinese friends and colleagues I found out their reasons. Again they mentioned health benefits, which Chinese people care about a lot. They assume walking backwards to be good for improving coordination. And they do have a good point. Compare it to our convincing research about using the ‘other’ hand. It’s supposed to increase connections between our hemispheres, improves our creativity and even make us more open-minded!

Interesting… I know using my left hand for eating and brushing my teeth is difficult; using it for writing and putting on make-up must be downright impossible.

Should I make friends with Lefty? Challenge accepted!

People sleeping

This doesn’t just happen in parks, but basically everywhere. Restaurants, cars, scooters, sidewalks, you name it.. Where you probably get arrested for it in some parts of Europe, here it’s nothing but normal. Can’t say I hate this habit of taking naps in random places 😉

There are many other ‘strange’ habits you’ll encounter in China. But when you think about it: not so strange after all. Tapping arms and legs, stretching, walking backwards.. Surely will bring us something good.

One last thing.. Since at least 90% of the people engaging in those activities and habits belongs to the older generation and the newer generations are not picking it up much, I’m afraid those things are slowly becoming less and less.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it eventually – unfortunately! – disappears completely.

Have a wonderful day 🙂